#nwod

Take, for instance, the Umbra; once, it was a place of serenity and spiritual harmony, the Garou could travel there as an innate ability in and of themselves, and remain there for as long as they liked, provided they mind their manners around the Spirits they meet there. Moon Bridges would criss-cross through the Umbra, connecting Caerns from far flung corners of the world and allowing the Garou to mobilize rapidly to any front in the War against the Wyrm on a global scale.

Now, the Umbra is a place of utter destruction and devastation. The Gauntlet has calcified, rendering the Garou ability to Step Sideways inert, leaving it up to the Theurges to develop a new Rite to cross into the Umbra. It takes longer, and has greater risks. The Umbra itself is hostile to the half-spirit Garou; staying in the Umbra for more than a scene takes its toll on your Willpower and eventually your Health. The Moon Bridges are destroyed, rendering each Caern weaker, more isolated.

This extends into other changes in 5th Edition as well. The Crinos form, formerly stable and relatively comfortable to maintain, is now constantly on the very edge of Frenzy, needing constant expenditure of Willpower to maintain. All of these changes 'nerf' the Garou and their capabilities, yes, but I think it has the effect of increasing the dramatic tension of the setting, and reflecting the ever-worsening climate apocalypse the Garou (and we in the real world) inhabit.

There are also even cases where treating 5th Edition as a continuation enhances the Tribes too. Not to even mention that at time of writing there is very little new lore on the Tribes most heavily altered between editions, I would like to take the Black Furies as an example here. In prior editions, the Tribe once associated with Pegasus had a strict membership policy of "female only". This reflects the outdated but of the time more popular bioessentialist theory of Women's sovereignty, using things like having a womb and the ability to become pregnant as core, essential signifiers of women's identity. I am a Trans Woman and do not have the time right now to get fully into why this mode of thought sucks and is inoperable. Returning to my point, The Black Furies once held this as part of their Tribe identity, but in the new Edition, have shed this policy. If taken in continuity, this tells of a Tribe once wrapped up in an archaic and bioessentialist mode of thought growing and undergoing Tribe-wide character development. This to me is more compelling than if the Black Furies had always been as they are.

The inter-edition changes demonstrate an aspect of the Garou Nation and its constituent Tribes as being in motion, introduces dynamism to the setting and Garou social structures that makes the setting richer for it.

I'm gonna take this even further. If you're a fan of the old Get of Fenris, I do not automatically think you're a Nazi or fascist (your behaviour otherwise will tell that tale), however, even you must be aware of Camps such as the Sword of Heimdall which exemplify the absolute worst aspects of the Tribe even in Classic Werewolf. The way this story goes if taken into continuity (even though even now Werewolf 5th Edition still calls the predecessor to the Cult of Fenris "Wolf's Tribe", the Cult of Fenris being so named is an obvious and probably deliberate reference), is that the Get of Fenris, for yes all of its genuinely good aspects, was infiltrated, appropriated, and taken over my malicious actors, and their presence became so dominant in the Tribe that the only options for everyone else was to convert, die, or Renounce Fenris. The Renunciates of Fenris thus far only have the one Loresheet in the Core Rulebook at time of writing, but they're one of the most compelling elements of the new edition in my opinion. Now, speaking to Get of Fenris fans, does it suck that your favorite Tribe got aped by Hauglosk and radicals and bad actors? Yes, absolutely. I would have it too, but, hear me out: The Renunciates of Fenris know that, and are there to give voice to that grief. Their Tribe, the group and Patron Spirit they've invested their whole purpose and worldview into, has become lost to its Hauglosk, and there's resonance in that that I think is incredibly valuable as something to explore in storytelling.

The Garou Nation has become the Shattered Nation, the Tribes dwindle and evolve (or devolve, depending on your perspective), the Umbra and its inhabitants have become hostile to you, and even the War Form is haunted by the biting flame of Frenzy. This is the Age of Apocalypse, the Wyrm and its agents are stronger than ever, but the Garou are still here, and the fight must go on.